


Thicker than Water [Hiatus]

by persephassax



Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-03-16
Updated: 2012-03-16
Packaged: 2017-11-02 00:43:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/363130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/persephassax/pseuds/persephassax
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of drabbles regarding the various mundane adventures and misadventures of the motley crew that make up the Gibbs family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Camry

**Author's Note:**

> I blame Eric, he came encouraged me. (And is the only one who would read them on LJ.) But, long story short, our favorite group of NCIS agents are here as the adopted children of Gibbs. Please forgive the liberal references to specific episodes, and the rather complete misappropriation of well-loved characters.
> 
>  _Blood's thicker than water, and when one's in trouble_  
>  Best to seek out a relative's open arms.  
>   
> ~Author Unknown

Tony is a junior when he gets a car, he is 17 and he has worked tirelessly to amass enough money to buy it. It's not flashy or even new―it's a 1992 Toyota Camry. And he loves it. To him, it's a symbol of maturity and self-sufficiency. He is the master of his own fate.  
It takes him the whole summer between his sophomore and junior year, supplementing a job at the grocery store with whatever odd jobs he can scrounger up. A whole summer of restocking shelves, bagging, chasing down shopping carts in the parking lot, mowing lawns, walking dogs, and even baby sitting children, before he has enough money.  
The car is old; the ceiling is peeling slightly, the windows roll down manually, some of the upholstery is permanently stained. There is a small dent in one of the doors. But it's Tony's car. All it's potential faults simply add to its character, and there is nothing Tony enjoys more than a good story. So he makes up a story for every dent and crack and stain.  
Tony keeps the job at the supermarket, to help pay for the insurance on the car, but he drives carefully and uses his turn signals to try and keep it from going up. Even if he makes it all the way to cashier, he's not going to make that much.  
He doesn't care how silly he looks, washing it on a Sunday afternoon or that sometimes some of the richer kids from school drive by and laugh at him. It feels right to spend a day a month communing with his car.  
The Camry, with all it's imperfections, is his independence, it's a reminder that despite what anyone else says about his character, he can achieve something if he wants it badly enough. The Camry is proof that the fifth grade teacher who held him back a year because of his "lack of focus and unwillingness to persevere when faced with a challenge" can eat her words. Tony knows that with the Camry, he can go wherever he wants.


	2. None but his Maker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him._  
>  -Ralph Waldo Emerson
> 
> Tim isn't born a writer.

No one taught Tim how to write. He's never bothered to pick up books about how to compose prose, or spent too long lingering on those about how to construct poetry. It's always been something he does.  
He thinks it comes from reading (he used to spend hours at the library, every afternoon until it closed at night and his mom could pick him up between shifts) and observing people (especially after coming to live with Gibbs and Abby and Tony and Kate. He spent forever watching them, trying to figure out where it was that _he_ was supposed to fit).  
Now, _now_ he has words and he has stories. Some nights he stays up late with a notebook and a pen and writes. He hides the book up on the top shelf of his closet, where he hides the skin mag he convinced Tony to lend him once, a year and a half ago.  
In it are a hundred half-formed stories. His favorites are the ones where he tries to write Tony and Gibbs and Abby and Kate, except they work together rather than live together. Sometimes they solve mysteries (if he's feeling creative) but sometimes they just work in an office.  
He writes down Tony's movie quotes sometimes, or things he overhears in the cafeteria or on the bus. When Ziva comes to live with them, he keeps track of her funnier mistakes.  
His notebook is full of little bits and pieces of the lives of the people around him. He doesn't feel like he can call it a journal or a diary because it never quite feels like it's _his_ life filling the pages.  
Then, one day, he gets a letter in the mail. It's from his little sister and she says she wants to get to know him again, because it's unfair to let her love someone she doesn't know anymore.  
He goes out an buys another notebook and he starts writing letters. They sent it back and forth, the pages filling up.  
When she sends it back, the last time―mocking him because she got to fill the last page with _her_ words, he looks back through it.  
He finds Tony's movie quotes, the things he overheard at school and Ziva's mistakes.  
Looking at the two notebooks lying next to each other, he realizes he was writing about himself all along.


	3. Frankenstein

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's never been a big reader.

Everyone was all smiles the night that Tony came down to dinner and announced that he'd "liked _Frankenstein_ , but it was _way_ too long. And seriously, how much of a jerk _was_ Dr. Frankenstein?" No one said anything but everyone was thinking that it was an interesting choice for that that would be the first book Tony would read for school without using Sparknotes. Even Tony was standing a little straighter, grin just a bit cockier than usual.  
Until his teacher docked him a letter grade and a half on his essay for "not answering the prompt" because he compared the book and the Boris Karloff movie, and furthermore having the gall to imply in her comment that perhaps Tony would do better to stop watching movies, and maybe crack a book sometime.  
If a few weeks later a worn copy of _The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_ with the initials "J.G." in the front cover found its way onto Tony's desk, well...  
Tim was only too happy to listen to Tony talk about how no one gets Hyde right in the movies, and Abby like knowing how she was doing on so far on the Mad Scientist scale. Ziva didn't really care, but she liked watching the _League of Extraordinary Gentlemen_ with Tony because it had cool special effects.  
No one really cared that Tony Sparknote'd every book he was assigned in class. The bookshelf next to his bed was slowly filling with matching titles; one on the spine of a book and the other on the shiny plastic cover of a DVD case.


	4. Quiet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's heart gets broken. Everyone feels the bite. No one is happy with Jenny.

There was something sickening in the silence that pervaded the house after _It_ happened. The way Tony's mouth would twist into a sarcastic grimace instead of his usual smirk.  
It was weird to see Tony sort of stop. Abby would look at him with big, sad eyes and give him hugs. Time retreated, but always made sure to proof whatever homework Tony would decide to do. Even Ziva was careful although her usual brusque tone never disappeared.  
It was only in front of Abby that Tony would let the total extent of the hurt show. Tim remembers passing by her basement door and hearing hitching breaths and Abby's husky voice making soothing noises. He eased the door shut and crept away.  
Tim remembers the first time they made the mistake of mentioning _Her_ name. To be fair they hadn't known at the time. But Tim had asked, off-hand, "Hey, how's that Jeanne girl?" He had been unprepared for the way Tony's face had closed up, his eyebrows going heavy as he stood up, hands curled into fists. And then, with a hissed, "Fuck you." He was gone.  
In the silence following they had heard Tony's door close, a muffled cry and a "thump" that reverberated through the house. Everyone made themselves scarce as Gibbs patched up Tony's knuckles.  
It was safe to say that Aunt Jenny wasn't welcome for a number of months afterward. It had been her idea, pushing Tony and The Girl together. Only that after something serious had developed between them, things had gone sour between her and The Girl's father. He forbid his daughter from seeing Tony and she didn't care enough to fight for him.  
It was the first time Tony's heart was broken by someone he'd chosen to trust.  
Tim would mulishly give Jenny the cold shoulder. Ziva told her quite plainly she had no business messing with Tony like that. Abby refused to even leave her basement when Jenny was visiting.  
Even Ducky, who usually stayed out of family disagreements due to his interminable good-nature, would shoot her a disapproving look.  
Gibbs was as wry as usual in her presence, but now it was with an edge of iciness that had not previously been there.  
Tony, for his part, didn't do or say much of anything. Tim got the impression that this had only confirmed Tony's unconscious belief that trusting people was a mistake and letting them in was a sure recipe for disaster.  
It took too long for that hush to leave the house. Eventually Tim stopped having that sick feeling in his stomach when he would enter the house to find Tony holed up in his room. Eventually Tony started to smile again. Eventually Ziva's jibes no longer made Tony's eyes go dim.  
Tim noticed he could laugh again when he walked in on Tony making out with some girl on the couch and proceeded to mock him mercilessly, in relief.


	5. Great Old Ones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony can't help it if he's a little off base.

Tony remembers Abby's squid phase like it was yesterday. It was back when she was obsessed with that P.T. Lovecart guy, back when Tim was still getting settled with them. It was another thing they could share and he couldn't. Not only was McGee smarter and more techno-savvy than he was, they also read the same stupid books. He hated feeling like he was being replaced by some pudgy, geeky kid who already _had_ a family. He didn't need to take Tony's. He remembers trying to ask Abby about the squid monster once, she'd called it Thulu and when he asked her again two days later using the name and everything, to prove he'd been listening, she shook her head at him wearing that expression that says, "you're so stupid but I guess I love you anyway," which he can never decide if he loves or hates.  
He figured he'd stop trying when all he can do is fuck it up.  
But now as he's standing in the video place with the DVD in his hands he decides, "to hell with it" and spends the last of his hard-earned cash on it.  
Later Abby finds _The Call of Cthulhu_ sitting on her desk with a post-it on the front:

Maybe we can watch it together some time.

-Tony


	6. Idiot Box (And the people who love them)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Afternoon family ritual in the Gibbs household.

Take 1:  
Tony grabbed Tim and, jamming his knuckles in the top of his head, proceeded to noogie the living heck out of him.  
"What?! Tony! Ow! Jesus! _Stop!_ "  
Tim flailed in surprise and lashed out, ineffectually, at Tony's middle. The door to the basement (painted an incongruous black) opened and Abby stuck her head out.  
"Tony! Let Timmy go! You don't want Gibbs catching you!" her voice had it's usual husky quality, and upon hearing it Tony immediately let Tim go. Abby was quite fond him, and Gibbs fond of her, and Tony looked to avoid grounding at all costs.  
"What is all that packet about?"  
The three occupying the kitchen looked at each other, and then chorused:  
"Racket, Ziva!"  
The Israeli girl stuck her head over the bannister and looked at them.  
"That is what I said."  
Abby smiled like this was an excellent joke, while Tony and Tim grinned at one another.

Take 2:  
"Dammit, Tim, I don't want to watch _Battlestar Gallactica_! _BURN NOTICE_!"  
"We watch your stupid cop shows all the time! It's not like the plot ever changes much, you can catch the re-run!"  
"Ugh. But you're always watching you stupid sci-fi. If it's not _Gallactica_ , it's _Fringe_ , or _Dr. Who_ , or _Dollhouse_ or whatever."  
"Oh Tony, I knew you cared!"  
"Shut up and give me that!"  
Tony lunged for the remote, which Tim immediately held at arm's length away from him. Tony scrambled over him trying to get it, only succeeding in planting his knee in Tim's stomach. Tim let out an oof and instinctively brought his knees up, in an attempt to curl into the fetal position, which caught Tony's backside and overbalanced him. He went over, yet maintained a good grip on Tim, insuring they both landed in a heap on the floor.  
The remote fell out of Tim's hands and skittered away on the polished wood. A delicate sock-clad foot stopped it, and Ziva picked it up.  
She seated herself on top of the two boys and pointed the clicker at the T.V.  
"Now, now, no fighting. That movie everyone talks about is on... Midnight or whatever."  
Tony and Tim groaned in unison.  
Some time later found the boys sprawled on the couch watching the drama unfolding on-screen with an unwilling interest. Ziva sat on the floor in front of the couch.  
"But I do no understand. Why does she let him watch her through the window? Does that not make him a jeep?"


	7. Let it Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It takes Ducky and Palmer some time to get used to one another.
> 
>  _For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain._  
>  ― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Jimmy Palmer's job is to look after Ducky.  
There's a saying in the Gibbs' household that goes, "to do like Palmer." This means that you screwed up whatever it was you were supposed to do.  
Ducky doesn't really need a minder, so Palmer is usually left trailing after him, trying to carry things for him or help him with things that Ducky is perfectly capable of doing himself. It seemed like Palmer was going to be out of a job until the day that Ducky accidentally burned his hand making tea and actually needed Jimmy's help with things. Somewhere during the two and a half weeks that it took for Ducky's hand to heal, Jimmy had become something of a protégé. Now Jimmy could be seen tripping after the doctor, except now he would be holding whatever Ducky had handed off to him and hanging on to his every word.  
Tony, Tim, Ziva and Abby are surprised that Jimmy isn't better at Trivial Pursuit after all the time he's spent listening to Ducky's stories, or looking up the answers to the questions the doctor asks him to make him think.  
In the end, it ends up that Ducky looks after Palmer more than the other way around, but it works.


End file.
